Carrier for eggs, fruit, and the like.



A. HUGHES. CARRIER FOR EGGS FRUIT, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. l9.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

' and particularly AGNES HUGHES, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CARRIER FOR EGGS, FRUIT, THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed December 1, 1917. Serial No. 204,865. 1

To all whom it may concern: a Be it known that I, AGNES HUGHES, a citizen of the United States,

of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriers for Eggs, Fruit, and the like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to carriers or cartons for carrying eggs, fruit, candies, electric light bulbs, and other fragile articles, to those cartons or carriers which are formed of a plurality of cells, one for each article to be carried.

-The general object of my invention is to provide a light and practical carrier for parcel post or other use, made of pasteboard, which may be very cheaply constructed, which may be shipped in a flat condition and readily formed into condition for use and in Which the articles carried are resiliently supported, so that the articles carried will not be crushed or broken.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton of this character which is particularly adapted for carrying fruit, for the reason that ample ventilation openings are provided, and another object is to so construct these openings that the carton is adapted for carrying eggs and will provide means for candling the eggs, so that the eggs may be examined by the buyer, without removal from the carton, thus doing away with the necessity for the repeated re-handling of the eggs and thus doing away with a very large loss due to breakage in this rehandling operation.

A further object is to so form the carton -that two longitudinally extending series of compartments are provided, the carton being so formed that these two series of compartments or the walls thereof are yieldingly held in relatively angular relation so that the bottoms of the two compartments are disposed at an obtuse angle to each other, carton to be supported at its outer edges, the pasteboard of which the carton is made yieldingly resisting any force tending to flatten the bottom of the carton, thus providing for a resultant support for fruit, or other articles contained within the compartments of the carton.

residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State pasteboard to provide beyond the to thereby cause the bottom of the the eggs,

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of the blank for forming the body of the carrier;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the blank for forming the egg tray;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the carrier;

Fig. 4 is. a transverse sectional view through the carrier on a line cutting one of the locking slots 29 of the tray;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the top flaps of the half sections interlock with the tray;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the egg tray after the blank is folded;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged View of a marginal portion of the blank A showing the locking slots 20; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the ridge a:v of the body adjacent one end.

The width of the pasteboard sheet forming this blank is, under normal circumstances, about 16" and may have any desired length, although normally it will have a length bf ll},'that is, the length of the completed carton will be 11%. The outer face of the carton is lightly scored as at 10 along the middle line of the carton and on each side of this score line'lO, there are formed a plurality of substantially oval openings 11 placed at regular distances, an ordinary egg carton, six of these openings on each side of the middle score line 10. The inner face of the blank is formed with a plurality of relatively light score lines 12 which intersect the openings 11 and extend adjacent margins of these openings toward the middle score line 10. Punched through the sheet of pasteboard are a series of transversely extending apertures 13 which intersect the middle score line 10, these apertures 13 being disposed on lines extendingbetween the pairs of apertures 11. Each of these apertures 13 has a relatively contracted middle portion, which widens out to form a triangular end portion.

When the blank is folded upon the score line 10, these apertures 13 form dove-tail shaped slots having contracted throats, the

corners of the throats being away as at 14.- to provide a reia' entrance opening. The ends of A are provided with the slots these slots being substantially angular in form, having arms ending inward, so that when the blank aided upon the score line 10, angular slots will be provided ing relatively enlarged throats, as shown in Fig. 8. About 2%" from the middle score 10 the inner face of the blank is longitudinally scored as at 16 and about 2-1; outward of the score 16 the inner face of the blank is again scored as at 17 and one line opposite each pair of openings 11 there are formed openings 18 intersected by the score lines 17, these openings being preferably diamond shaped, the longitudinal axis of each opening being in line with the center of the corresponding pair of openings 11. About 2% from the score line 17, the inner face of the blank is scored as at 19. The outer edges or margins of the blank are formed with a plurality of inwardly extending locking notches or slots 20, each of these slots having approximately the form of an isosceles triangle, but having a contracted throat 21 with a flaring mouth 22. it will be noted that these slots 20 on one side are reversely arranged to the slots 20 on the opposite side, that is, that the tongues 23 which form the contracted throats of the slots extend in one direction on the right hand margin of the sheet or blank and in the opposite direction on the,

left hand margin of the sheet or blank. The lateral margins of the sheet or blank adjacent the ends of the blank are formed with the inwardly extending slots 24.

Coacting with the blank A which forms the outer case of the carton is a blank B which forms compartments or walls for the eggs, fruit, etc., this blank also forming a brace for the carton as will be later described. This blank B, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is preferably made of pasteboard and has a length of about 2 1 and a width of about 3%. This blank is formed with a plurality of evenly spaced square openings 25, there being slots ornotches 26 extending from opposite sides of these square openings and extending in line with the longitudinal axis of the blank. The blank is transversely scored at a plurality of points, as at 27, these scores 27 being formed upon the inner face of the blank and intersecting the openings 25. The outer face of the blank is scored at a plurality of points as at 28, these scores 28 being disposed between the scores 27. On each side of the scores 28 there are formed locking slots 29.

This blank is adapted to be folded, as illustrated in Fig. 0, upon the score lines 27 and 28, so that the blank will be approximately zigzag in longitudinal section and,

under the circumstances. each pair of slots 29 will 1- a. The extremities o the blank wrmed with f-sln-.ped. slots 30.

in order to assemble the carton, the blank A is creased upon its middle score line 10, the outside faces of the leaves being disposed toward each other. The blank B is then folded upon the score lines 27 and 28 and the ridge a formed by folding the blank A is inserted in the notches 26 of the folded blank B, the series of double walls formed by folding the blank B being inserted Within the slots 13, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the ends of the blank B being engaged in the angular slots 15. It will be seen that when the blank B is thus disposed across the crest a of the folded carton, two longitudinally extending series of compartments will be formed, one series on each side of the crest or double middle wall a, the bottom of each compartment being downwardly curved. Fruit or other articles are now placed in the several compartments, if desired, and the lateral portions of the blank A are folded over. The lateral portions of the blank A are bent upon the score lines 16, 17 and 19, the score lines 16 being coincident with the ends of the compartments 7) formed by the blank 3, the score lines 17 being coincident with the upper corners of these compartments 5 so as to form top walls and the margins of the blank A outward of the score lines 19 are bent downward in confronting relation to each other and the tongues 23 engage in the locking slots 29, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the slots 2% coacting with the i-shaped slots or notches 30.

iv hen the carton is folded, as above described, there are provided two elongated tubular boxes or containers, each rectangular in cross section, and each divided into compartments these two boxes being connected by the double dividing wall a and by the folded blank B. it will be noticed that the scores 12 perform a. very important function when the box is assembled inasmuch as they cause the bottom of the box to bend in a curve at the corners of each longitudinally extending section of the box so that the bottoms of the longitudinally extending sections extend downward and outward in divergent relation to each other and at an obtuse angle to each other, so that normally the middle of the box will be supported above the table or other support, even when the carton or box is filled with the article and the pasteboard having a certain degree of resilience, these side sections of the box will tend to move so as to shift the bottoms of the longitudinal compartments into this relation. Even if a weight be placed on the top of the box, the curve in the middle of the bottom will cause the box to yield to a certain extent, but will not permit it. to

- cartons to' be disposed one on top of the other or one beside the other. It will further be noted that the inner member B provides a series of curved pockets which adapt themselves to the shape of the articles to be carried, hold the articles in position without any more than a minimum of contact therewith and absorb any shock and, furthermore, that this multi-folded strip or blank B constitutes a brace holding the outer side walls of the box from compression or deformation and also forms part of the locking means for the box holding the outer blank A in. its folded and locked position. The notches 20 are so formed as to provide the locking tongues 23 which, when they are inserted into the slots 29 lock the box in its folded position as when these tongues are passed through the slots 29, they overlap each other and the box cannot be unlocked, opened 01' disturbed by ordinary handling or by turning the box upside down, but can only be opened, without breaking the looking tongues, sections in opposite directions and it will be noted that thus the cartons are held together or in closed relation, without using paste, string, or any extraneous devices. ings l1 and 18 provide means whereby the eggs, if eggs are being carried, may be candled. When the diamond shaped openings are placed toward the light, the entire egg can be seen by looking through the corresponding opening 11. These openings also permit the inspection of the contents of the several pockets or compartments and further provide for a perfect ventilation of the carton. It will be noted, of course, that these cartons can be shipped with the blanks laid out fiat, thus greatly reducing bulk in shipping.

It will be noted that by the construction which has been described, I provide a box or carrier formed of two relatively elongated half sections joined to each other by a fold forming a median wall and I provide an egg tray disposed within the body and straddling the median wall and formed to provide a series of transversely extending egg pockets and that each half section of the carrier is provided with a top wall having a marginal portion along its inner edge, this marginal portion being bent downward so that the two marginal portions of both sections confront each other and these marginal upward and by pushing the tops of the two The openportions being formed with interlocking slots to engage with the walls defining the egg pockets, It will likewise be seen that each half section of the carton has a bottom,

this bottom extending horizontally inward from the outer vertical wall of the section for a certain distance and then extending inward in a curve and that this curve is secured by scoring the pasteboard of which the bottom is made. Especial attention is called to the means for locking the free margins of the carrier together and to the egg tray as I regard this of particular importance, as it is impossible to release these margins from their engagement with the egg tray without longitudinally shifting t e marginal walls of the half sections in opposite directions.

le I have illustrated certain details of construction which ticularly efiective in actual practice it is obvious that many changes may be made with regard to these details, without departing from the principle of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. An egg carrier comprising a body formed of two approximately rectangular half sections joined to each other at their bottom and adapted to be foldedtogether to provide a median upwardly extending wall, the outer walls of the sections extending vertically upward, and then extending inward, and then bent downward into approximate contact with each other, an egg tray extending through said median wall and folded transversely at a plurality of points to provide a plurality of egg pockets, the folds defining the egg pockets extending downward in divergent relation, said median wall being formed with slots to receive the joined walls of the egg pockets, said slots having divergent walls whereby to cause the divergent walls of the egg pockets to interlock with the divergent walls of the corresponding slot.

2. An egg carrier comprising a body havottom wall and two vertical side walls, said side walls have portions extending lnward to form tops, then extending downward in approximate contact with each other, an egg tray disposed within the body and folded to provide a plurality of egg pockets defined by transversely extend ing walls, the folds constituting said transversely extending walls being formed with having interlocking ening a bottom wall and side walls, the side I walls, the folds constituting said transversely extending walls being the downwardly extend.

' margins being formed to provide longitndiing the upwardly and medially dispose formed with registering slots ing margins of t slots to receive said walls,

e body being formed with the slots in the nally extending tongues-having interlocking engagement with the slots in the pocket Walls, the tongues on one marginextending in opposite direction to the tongueson the opposite margin whereby said margins are engageable with or disengageable rronr the walls of the egg pockets by movement in relatively opposite directions;

4. A carrier of the character described comprising a body formed or two approximately rectangular halt sections, each section having a vertical outsidevwall and a flat top having downwardly extending marginal portions disposed in approximate con tact with each other, each section having a bottom wall extending horizontally inward from the vertical side wall and then extending upward and toward the middle oi? the body in a curve, said last named portions being joined, the curved portions or: the bottom being longitudinally scored and an egg tray disposed within the carrier and portions ot the body thereby hold said thereoi and then upward and inward to v noes-nos portions in approximate contact with each other and prevent lateral spreading.

5. An egg carrier comprising a termed of two approximately rectangular halt sections, the bottom walls of each section extending inward from the side wall rovide a longitudinally extending median old, said median fold being slotted at intervals, these slots extending downward, each section having a top wall formed at its margin body.

with a downwardly extending portion, the

downwardly extending portions of the two sections when placed together forming a longitiidinally extending median wall coacting with the first named median wall, and an'egg tray disposed within the body and iorined of a strip of material folded upon itself at intervals to provide-walls defining a series of pockets, said walls being slotted the tray being longitudinally slotted to receive the median upwardly extending wall of the. carrier, the downwardly extending marginal portions of the sections being slotted to receive the walls defining said pockets of the egg tray and having tongues engaging in and interlocking with the slots in said pockets defining walls, the egg tray resting upon the bottoms of the two coinpartrnentsa testimony whereof l hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses,

AGNES HUGHES.

. SGHERER, 

